During the Nov. 7 board meeting, the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) Board of Education heard public comments regarding a potential policy that would ban the LGBTQ+ flag from all classrooms, which it had not considered previously. This discussion came after an IUSD parent raised concerns following the recent ban of LGBTQ+ flags in the Temecula Valley Unified School District in September, but the Board ultimately chose not to hold a vote.

The parent’s proposal suggests that flags other than the national and state flags require approval from the superintendent before being displayed in classrooms and must be used exclusively for educational purposes.

Supporters of a policy banning flags claimed that the LGBTQ+ flag is not inclusive towards non-LGBTQ+ students, and an absence of clear outlines could fuel further controversy about certain flags deemed inappropriate in classrooms. Conversely, many IUSD teachers, including English teacher Doris Schlothan, emphasized that the LGBTQ+ flag fosters a safer environment and rarely affects students’ learning. 

“It means the world to me because it’s just one way of fighting for equality, of fighting against oppression, of fighting against dehumanization,” Schlothan said. “As an educator, it’s just as important to me to fight for and stand up for representation, whether it’s sexual orientation and sexuality, just as much as it’s important to me when it comes to making sure a student is not discriminated against because of their race or their gender or their abilities.”

ASB student representative and senior Gabriel Mutsvangwa previously addressed classroom flag policy at the Oct. 17 board meeting, where he said he spoke more towards the audience.

“The flag agenda was something that I felt was quite divisive,” Mutsvangwa said. “We’re not really a political board, nor do we make political decisions or the schools. But seeing other people comment, whether I agree with them or not, it shows the proper conversations and diverse conversations that we need to have.”

Irvine Teachers Association representative and math teacher Michelle Becerra also attended the meeting, but as an audience member. As a queer staff member, Becerra said that although she was not scared or nervous to attend, she still felt upset about the lack of representation for the LGBTQ+ community in classrooms. 

“I was a little heartbroken that some things were said from other members of our community, and that they would have such differing views,” Becerra said. “It was important to me, maybe not to speak because it’s not my own experience that needed to be spoken, but just to be there to represent all of the staff that would be in there for their own identity. Anecdotally, meeting with those kids and seeing what they’ve gone through is enough to just go and be like, ‘Hey, I’m here to help support in whatever way I can.’”

The discussion ended with each Board member providing their input — a consensus that the displaying of the LGBTQ+ flag is not an issue in IUSD classrooms and that the policy of inclusion remains more significant.

This story was originally published on Portola Pilot on November 17, 2023.